PA faces leadership turmoil as it deals with various controversies

THE leadership of the Patriotic Alliance (PA) is facing tough times, with two senior members caught in a scandal.

- MASABATA MKWANANZI [e-mail]

A political analyst has warned that “trust is one of the most critical currencies in politics.”

This comes in the wake of the resignation of the party's deputy president and former transport MMC, Kenny Kunene, and a storm over Patriotic Alliance leader and Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie’s use of the K-word in a recent live video and older social media posts, sparking public outrage and mounting calls for his removal.

McKenzie has confirmed that he will undergo an investigation following his controversial tweets and has issued an apology.

“I can never be guilty of racism, try some other take down, but never racism. I did tweet some insensitive, stupid and hurtful things a decade or two ago. I was a troll & stupid. I cringe when seeing them, and I am truly sorry for that. I shall subject myself to the investigation,” he said in a post on X on Monday.

Last year, the Democratic Alliance terminated the membership of their parliamentarian, Renaldo Gouws, after an old video surfaced online in which he used racist language. This video was originally posted on his YouTube channel in 2010.